St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-23

The splendid balls given in Englan'
in connection with the jubilee celebra
ton have drawn out accounts Of famou
pageants of the past. No modern enter
tainment can compare in splendor, it i
stated, with the mask ball given by thu
French ambassador at Rome in 115l, tC
celebrate the birth of 1.-The most serene
royal Duke of Burgundy" The bal
lasted over three days; it was given in
one of the most splendid palaces in
Italy, which was decorated for the occa-
sion on scale of such magnificence az
alone would have rendered the affair
memorable The ladies' dresses are de
scribed as marvelously rich and beau
tiful.
This most serene royal Duke of Bur
5undy was the elder brother of Louis
XVI; and the nobleman who celebrated
his birth in such regal style was the Lord
Duke of Nivernois, then the "Ambassa
dor of his Majesty the Most Christian
King at the Court of the Holiness of
Our Lord Pope Benedict XIV The
t6lIulCul SiSCA at t4iS ASAA>AA
embassy-the Palazzo Farnese-famous
for its vast and nobly proportional sa-
looms, which are adorned with paintings
by Annibale Carracci, Guido Nolterra,
Domenichno and other masters. Five
of these a,oartments were filled for three
successive nights with dancers, who
seem scrupulouslf to have kept it up
till davlight;" the middle classes were
invited as we'll as the nobility; and, in
order to receive the infinite number Of
maskers' without disorder, a guard of
soldiers was provided. The scene is
Faithfully described" in detail by an
eyewitness, one Giovanni Reffino, in
pamphlet published shortly after the
event and now very scarce.
The grandest saloon was set apart for
the nobility, who, says Retfino, appeared
in truly superb pomp." There was her
excellency the ambassadress of Venice
foremost for majesty of appearance"
in charming costume after the Ger
man fashion, and perfectly supporting
the graceful character of a Tyrolese
peasant woman" The worthy Rettino's
ideas seem trit1e mixed here. She wore
a superb pettcOat of white satin with
bouquets of natural flowers; a tightly
fitting bodice with chemisette and sleeves
of the finest muslin, dotted over with
symmetrical groups Of embroidered
flowers; and black Tyrolese cap en-
riched with various and tastefully dl-
vided groups of jewels; ito all which
pleasing and rich adOrnment new charms
were added by the department OF her eX-
cellency, who attracted the respectful adj
miration of all present" There was the
Princess di NianO, in "a most charming
dress of rose color, festoOned with the
rarest Flanders lace Her hair was, SO
/ to speak, powdered with precious stones,
and on her left breast she wore
a mass of diamonds, emeralds, and
rubies lin an ingenious design"
and a large pear shaped pearl sur
rounded by smaller ones. The Duchess
Salviatti appeared "glittering in rich
hussar costume, with a brocade petit
coat" the ground of which was purple
damask worked with silver branches and
flowers in natural colors. A hussar-
jacket OF sky-blue velvet hung loosely
from one shoulder, and her head-dress
was a hussar-cap to match the Jacket,
} DOlu DcluG Win law AoAS Va
j Muscovy." The hilt of her grace's sabre
was of gold, the sword knot of dia-
monds; while strings of large pearls"
beamed on her neck and mingled with
! the tassel on her cap The effect of this
brilliant costume, says Reffino, was en-
HANGED "by the spiritue1 affability of her
excellency. The Marchesa Sacripanti
was "superbly attired in white and gold
brocade with Manufactured flowers"
The bodice was of the same, and from
the back of it fell "long folds of crimson
velvet with sleeves to match, the head
dress being a small black velvet hat
adorned with Jewels to match the neck
lace" The Marchesa Costaguti was also
in white and gold brocade, with Turk
ish turban of cloth and silver, fastened
bv half-moon in diamonds; )" while the
Countessa Carpegna wore white train
with ''petticoat delicately painted with
various rural landscapes"
But these splendors pale before the
glories of the Marchesa Gaucci and the
Lady Mobilia Faconieri. The former,
who was young bride, went as the
| Goddess Minerva and so impressed were
the soldiers by her commanding air, so
dazzled BY her helmet and breastplate
blazing with precious stones and pearls,
that they instinctively presented arms as
she passed by, which, naively observes
the chronicler, was very proper: She
wore white petticoat sprinkled with
spots of gold and blue embroidery, and
her sleeves were also blue and la geter-
riere her baldrick was 'set with superb
Jewels" and her hair was dressed in
Short curls like a mans" The Lady
Mobilia, as the Rising Sun, wore as elab-
orately symbolical costume as ever was
conceived. On the right side OF her
bodice, which was entirely covered with
diamonds" was rising sun, whose
golden avs Illuminated hemisphere
designed upon the skirt of the
gown, together with the signs of
the zodiac The moon was there
also, embroidered in silver, ito signify
that she had paled in the light OF the
greater luminary,' which the careful
Reffino describes as shining upon
various terrestrial scenes sklllfully
painted round the edge of the skirt;
while, by way of showing that the sun
left darkness behind him, night was
symbolized by flowing drapery of
black. studded with silver stars which
fell ne gligently from the shoulder The
head-dress was formed of sun-rays of
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